“My father is a man like no other. He gave me life, nurtured me, taught me, hugged me, dressed me, kissed me, shouted at me, but most importantly he loved me unconditionally.” – Anonymous

1. He is a handy man.

He’s the person you go to when your bike tire needs to be patched or if your shower head has broken off. Your dad most likely has his own tool bag and can fix almost anything that you break!

2. He is open minded.

A good dad understands that the world is continuing to change and so are the people. He doesn’t try to keep the 1970′s in style, but instead he conforms to the new way of living and allows his children to be citizens in their day and age – use social media, use current lingo, etc.

3. He has a good sense of humor.

You know when your dad is enjoying himself at a dinner party because you can hear his hearty laugh from across the kitchen!

Awesome dads tend to have a great sense of humor and they don’t always take everything in life so seriously.

4. He believes in you.

Has your dad ever invested himself into something you wanted to do? Has he ever told you he’s confident in your ability to attain that certain goal?

This is just a clear sign that your father believes in what you stand for, what you want to accomplish in life and ultimately, in you.

5. He is one of your best friends.

He’s one of the first people to know about something new happening in your life and you regularly chat and hang out with him. You can talk to him about whatever is on your mind and he always shares some of his stories and fatherly wisdom with you.

6. He treats your mom like a queen.

A great father respects, values and thinks highly of his children’s mother. You even know what true love looks like because your dad expresses it everyday to his wife.

He’s always singing sweet songs to her, he goes out of his way to please her and he always treats her with tenderness and care.

7. He is a good disciplinarian.

Awesome dads love their children but they won’t let them get away with first degree murder.

He uses tough love through the power of his words and actions to prove his point, but he’d never try to scar you internally or externally to teach you a lesson.

8. He accepts your flaws and mistakes.

I remember the only time I’ve ever been arrested, I expected my dad to beat the hell out of me. To my surprise I didn’t get a whooping, but instead he felt sympathetic to my position and accepted the circumstances of the situation.

9. He is dependable.

He’s one of the only people that can be counted on to be there for you and your family through thick and thin.

10. You and your dad spend quality time together.

He was always there on the bench watching and supporting you at your sporting events. Other times you’d need help with your homework and he’d always make the time to help you, every night if necessary.

11. He is a role model.

He has great character. He doesn’t just tell you how you should go about living your life, he shows you. He’s kind to your mom, patient with you, works hard at his job…

He presents himself appropriately at all times and never does things he wouldn’t want you to do. He lives by the values he’d like his children to embody for themselves.

12. He has an unselfish spirit.

He’s always doing things in the best interest and needs of his spouse and children. If your dad is always giving to others this is just a clear sign that he is an unselfish person.

Awesome dads tend to put the best interests of those close to him first, over their own.

13. He gives great advice.

If you have some sort of issue, you can go to your dad for his advice.

He takes the time to listen to your problems with opens ears and an open heart, and then he always comes up with a possible solution for you to take away.

14. He is loved by everyone.

Everyone wants your dad to attend that special occasion and if he’s not there yet, they’re always wondering where he could be.

Even your friends don’t mind having your dad hang around with them playing Call of Duty! He’s an enjoyable person to be around.

15. He protects his family at all costs.

Your dad is the man of the house. He’s a steady provider and works to see that his family has all the necessities of life. He will do whatever it takes to make sure his family is living comfortably.

This means he might get two jobs just to pay off all of the bills, but he gets them because he wants you to sleep in an air conditioned room.

Your dad has built a strong foundation from which to help raise you into the best person you can become.

Before going back home in June, take the most of your experience in Canada during this summer! Here`s a list of very Canadian things to do that can inspire you.

Trek A Long-Distance Trail!

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From the West Coast Trail in British Columbia to the Long Range Traverse in Newfoundland, there are plenty of hikes to keep you fit all summer long.

Camp Out In The Wilderness!

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Over half of Canada is covered in forests, woodland and areas covered by trees, like the incredible Great Bear Rainforest. Get lost for the day, deep in between the towering trees and then set up your tent at a local campsite at night for a true outdoor adventure.

Check Out A Traditional Music Festival!

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From folk in the west to country in the prairies and jazz in the east, there are plenty of summer sounds to get you moving. While some festivals last one or two weeks you can choose your favourite of the days to attend

Hike To The Top Of A Waterfall

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There are hundreds of fascinating falls across Canada to choose from and the view is always better from the top. Find one in a park or forest nearby and make a day trip out of the hike.

Learn A New Watersport!

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With millions of lakes and thousands of rivers to choose from, you can go kayaking, rafting, canoeing, surfing, wakeboarding and paddle boarding for hours under the sun. Rent out your water equipment for the day and get ready for a workout full of fun.

Have A Picnic In A National Park!

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Each Canadian province and territory has at least one national park with plenty of picturesque pit stops to snack at. For the adventurous, make an overnight trip out of it with a tent, campfire and mandatory s’mores.

Watch Wildlife!

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Spend an afternoon admiring the mighty creatures living in Canada’s untamed landscapes. Join a tour group and head to the East or West Coast for whale watching. Want to stay dry? Take to B.C. or Alberta and get familiar with critters like this bull moose in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

Climb A Mountain!

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Start early in the morning so you’ll make it back down the mountain before dark. A hard workout is easier and safer when you can turn your head and take in the stunning sights during daylight hours.

1. Have a Positive Attitude
Approach the big test as you’d approach a giant jigsaw puzzle. It might be tough, but you can do it! A positive attitude goes a long way toward success.

2. Make a Plan
The week before the test, ask your teacher what the test is going to cover. Is it from the textbook only? Class notes? Can you use your calculator? If you’ve been absent, talk to friends about material you may have missed. Make a list of the most important topics to be covered and use that as a guide when you study. Circle items that you know will require extra time. Be sure to plan extra time to study the most challenging topics.

3. The Night Before
Cramming doesn’t work. If you’ve followed a study plan, the night before the test you should do a quick review and get to bed early. Remember, your brain and body need sleep to function well, so don’t stay up late!

4. The Morning of the Test
Did you know that you think better when you have a full stomach? So don’t skip breakfast the morning of the test. Get to school early and do a ten-minute power study right before the test, so your brain is turned on and tuned up.

5. Test Time
Before the test begins, make sure you have everything you’ll need – scratch paper, extra pencils, your calculator (if you’re allowed to use it). Understand how the test is scored: Do you lose points for incorrect answers? Or is it better to make guesses when you’re not sure of the answer? Read the instructions! You want to make sure you are marking answers correctly.

6. Manage Your Time
Scan through the test quickly before starting. Answering the easy questions first can be a time saver and a confidence builder. Plus, it saves more time in the end for you to focus on the hard stuff.

7. I’m Stuck!
Those tricky problems can knock you off balance. Don’t get worried or frustrated. Reread the question to make sure you understand it, and then try to solve it the best way you know how. If you’re still stuck, circle it and move on. You can come back to it later. What if you have no idea about the answer? Review your options and make the best guess you can, but only if you don’t lose points for wrong answers.8. Multiple-Choice Questions
The process of elimination can help you choose the correct answer in a multiple-choice question. Start by crossing off the answers that couldn’t be right. Then spend your time focusing on the possible correct choices before selecting your answer.

9. Neatness Counts
If your 4s look like 9s, it could be a problem. Be sure that your writing is legible and that you erase your mistakes. For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully.

10. I’m Done!
Not so fast – when you complete the last item on the test, remember that you’re not done yet. First, check the clock and go back to review your answers, making sure that you didn’t make any careless mistakes (such as putting the right answer in the wrong place or skipping a question). Spend the last remaining minutes going over the hardest problems before you turn in your test.

Follow these test tips, and you’ll know you did your best – congratulations!

Today is International Family Day and, in order to celebrate this day, MLI Homestay has prepared a special list of unique things about staying in a Canadian Homestay.

They’re going to be your second family!When you arrive, they are as curious to meet you as you are to meet them. It all starts with a short conversation and before you know it you’re sharing stories with each other! Soon you`re going to feel at home and, believe me, it`s not going to be easy to say goodbye! Your host family is going to be in your heart forever and ever.

There’s nothing like mom’s cooking! And it’s no different in Canada!Being with a host family will give you the opportunity to try and enjoy the best of the traditional Canadian cuisine! No breakfast is better than ‘Mom Made’ Canadian pancakes with maple syrup.

Being part of a community!When you stay with a local family, you’re not only visiting a place, you’re part of it! This is the true immersion into the Canadian culture! This is an amazing way to make friends, perfect your English skills and experience the Canadian lifestyle, eh?

Giving students a deeper understanding of global cultural diversity

by Anthony Ferreira

Over the past 20 years, MLI has been helping to communicate the message of Canada’s beauty, vitality and cultural history to Japanese students placed in hundreds of communities across Canada. Our Canadian students, families and schools have welcomed Japanese youth into their hearts and homes and have received this message of friendship with open arms.

The Japanese students that have participated in MLI’s programs have made positive and lasting relationships in our Canadian communities and we envision a future in which our Canadian students may strengthen these bonds by pursuing study abroad opportunities within Japan.

As previously asserted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan has set the goal of increasing “the number of foreign nationals studying in Japan to 300,000” by Tokyo 2020. MLI intends to continue to support Canadian students who are seeking study abroad opportunities at the top International Universities in Japan.

For over four years, MLI and sister company YES Canada (Youth Educational Services) has been successfully coordinating short-term study programs in Japan for Canadian youth. Moving forward, MLI is strongly committed to expanding on these programs with help from our Japanese partners, so that we can provide increased study abroad opportunities for students across Canada.

The new generations of Japanese and Canadian youth have helped to open up new pathways, sister relationships and partnerships between our two nations. We are confident that the relationships that we have created between Canadian and Japanese schools, school boards and regions will allow this program to continue and flourish for years to come.